


Easier Ways To Die

by Subtlety Lost (fishstic)



Series: Named for Andraste [3]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Cassandra would make a good teacher, F/F, Sword Fighting, You can't change my mind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-07 20:15:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18880459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishstic/pseuds/Subtlety%20Lost
Summary: Andrea Trevelyan asked Cassandra for lessons on how to use a sword properly. Knowing that the Herald would have no choice but to fight, should she ever hope of closing the breach, Cassandra agreed thinking it would be a simple task. But nothing about Andrea was ever simple, and it would take more than just a couple lessons to convince Andrea that fighting was notoptionalin a war situation.





	Easier Ways To Die

“It’s a weapon, not a snake,” Cassandra said, “There’s no need to be afraid of it.” She shook her head as Andrea once again failed to hold the sword tightly enough and nearly dropped it mid swing.

”You saw how badly it went when I tried to use one last time!” Andrea replied, “I ...”

”You did well for someone who’s never so much as held a sword before,” Cassandra replied. When they were fighting the demons on the way to the Breach, and when they were fighting the Templars and apostates on the way to see Mother Giselle, Andrea had fought well. Exceptionally well for one who was not trained. Cassandra had a theory that it was because the demons and other opponents were putting Andrea’s new friends in danger. Like a mother protecting her young.

“Oh, that’s... not entirely true,” Andrea added sheepishly. “The part about having never held one before. It’s not true, what I said was I’d never _used_ one before.”

”You’ve held one but not used it?” Cassandra asked. That seemed counter productive, unless Andrea’s Templar siblings had asked her to hold their weapons at some point for some reason.

”I learned... some basic forms when I was little, before my mother kindly reminded the clerics at the chantry that I was there to become a Cleric myself, not to learn to be a Templar.” Andrea adjusted her grip slightly, holding the sword more firmly. Cassandra smiled slightly seeing that. She _has_ been paying attention

“When I first went to the chantry, I was only two. When I turned four, I got put with a group of my cousins, who were all training to be Templars. They were just supposed to make sure I didn’t get hurt whenever I decided to play outside. They were basically just told to babysit me since I was the youngest. The oldest of them, my cousin Maxine, she decided to give me a wooden sword she’d made.”

Andrea chuckled. “It was a terrible thing, only about an inch thick with rope holding the crossguard onto it so I’d know where the ‘hilt’ was supposed to be and wouldn’t hold it by the ‘blade’. It wasn’t even pointy. I wasn’t supposed to be learning to fight with them, but I laughed and went along with it because I thought it was a game. At least, that’s what my mother told me about it when I asked a year or two later why I couldn’t ‘play swords’ with Maxine anymore. I don’t actually remember all that.”

“If I might ask, why did you decide to be a cleric and not a Templar?” Cassandra asked. “You’re strong and devoted. You’d have made a good Templar.” Andrea had all the makings of a good Templar.

“I have family among all parts of the Chantry. Templars, mages, clerics, the Seekers, and even apostates. My cousin, though a Cousland, helped end the Fifth Blight,” Andrea replied. “I’ve seen many times over what the Chantry can and cannot do at all it’s levels. My mother wanted me to be safe. Templar and ‘safe’ are not two words that go hand in hand.”

“I see no reason you couldn’t have been safe as a Templar,” Cassandra replied. Templars were trained, strong, had good armor. They were as safe as most knights and city guard, or even safer since most criminals wouldn’t dare go against a trained Templar in combat.

“I have brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, and uncles among the Templar order,” Andrea said, “Some are still alive. _Some_ , not all, at this point it’s not even _most_. That was enough reason for my mother to not want her youngest child to become a Templar. She’s lost too many family members among the Templars. She wanted me to be a cleric.”

“But what did _you_ want to be?” Cassandra asked.

“The Divine,” Andrea replied. “I had seen what the Chantry could do, what it was really needed for. The sort of injustices people faced even in a town as devout as Ostwick or Tantervale. I wanted to change that. To help people. To assure that the Chantry was serving the principles on which it was founded. That it was helping people, sheltering the poor, feeding the weak, educating the masses. I wanted to change things. A Templar cannot become the Divine, but a Cleric could.”

Cassandra nodded. “That is a noble goal. One I’m sure the Inquisition can help you achieve.”

Andrea shook her head and simply motioned toward the Breach. “Until that thing is sealed, the Chantry may well not exist, and the Inquisition has little choice but to focus its efforts on sealing it. The world is falling apart around our feet, but we must rise from the ashes. Until the Breach is sealed. We will fight through the fires that burn everything they touch, and we shall emerge victorious, or no one shall emerge at all.”

Cassandra started to reply but kept quiet for a moment. She sensed that Andrea wasn’t finished with her little speech.

Andrea nodded, and held out her sword, point down. “If the Inquisition is allowed to make changes. If I were in charge, the firs thing I’d do, is make sure the servants know they are equals.”

Cassandra tilted her head. “Interesting choice.”

“Andraste was a slave,” Andrea replied. “The way most nobles treat their servants is no better than slavery. I would change that. Andraste wanted freedom. She wanted peace. She wanted an end to slavery in all its forms. The Maker loves all His children. It’s time we remembered that. Back home, I used to hear our servants talk. They wouldn’t talk around any of the rest of the family, just me. They talked about how they wished they were treated better, how they’d prefer living in Ferelden to Orlais, and almost would prefer it to Ostwick. One of them told me once that he’d rather be free and dirt poor than live as a paid slave. I want them to be free _and_ paid well. It’s not right that we rely so much on them but treat them like they’re less than dirt.”

“You know,” Cassandra said, “If being the Herald ever stops being relevant, you could make a career of writing speeches.”

“But not a career of swordfighting?” Andrea asked bemused. She was smiling, a marked improvement on her usual look in Cassandra’s opinion.

“Probably not, given that you’re scared to use your sword,” Cassandra replied.

“I am not scared!” Andrea protested.

“Then why do you hesitate to swing your sword?” Cassandra asked. “An enemy won’t hesitate, you’d be cut down in an instant.”

“If you’re so confident that I’d lose, why do you say I’d make a good Templar?” Andrea argued.

“Templars have discipline, skill, determination, dedication, devotion,” Cassandra replied. “You have all that. The only thing they have that you don’t is training.”

“Isn’t that what you’re trying to do, right now?”

Andrea tilted her head slightly, lifting her shield up near her head blocking both herself and Cassandra. A blunt tipless arrow bounced harmlessly off the shield. Cassandra leaned down and picked the offending object up as a scout ran over with a hapless recruit looking terrified behind him.

“You have my most sincere apologies, Lady Seeker and Lady Herald,” the scout said. “This new recruit hasn’t quite gotten the hang of ‘aiming’ yet—that’s why I removed the tip from all his arrows.”

“It’s not a problem,” Andrea replied, “Right Cassandra?” She gave a pointed look, like she’d be deeply upset if Cassandra disagreed.

Cassandra nodded. “I am aware of your archers training,” she said to the scout. “I would not be angry if one of them accidentally hit me. As long as they don’t do it again.”

The scout nodded nervously. “Of course, it won’t happen again.”

“Should we maybe turn the targets around and try to hit them from the other side, that way if I miss again I’d hit a tree not a people?” the recruit asked.

“That’s not a bad idea,” the scout said. He nodded a final apology to Cassandra as he took the arrow from her and led the hapless recruit back to the targets.

“How did you know to shield me?” Cassandra asked. “I was looking in that direction and I didn’t even see the arrow coming, you weren’t even looking.”

“I heard the scout yell at his recruit that if he hit you, you’d kill him,” Andrea replied. “I decided it’s very much not a good idea to let a scout think you’ll kill him over an accident.”

“So you blocked it, without even knowing what it was, to keep me from getting mad at the recruit?” Cassandra asked. That led further credence to the idea that Andrea fought to protect her friends.

Andrea shook her head. “Would you rather I have let you get hit in the head with it?”

“Well, no,” Cassandra replied. That was the kind of sass she expected from Varric, not Andrea. _Did I annoy her?_ “I was simply curious about the reason behind your actions. Now, pick up your blade and we’ll try this again. Hopefully, we will not be interrupted this time.”

“I really don’t see what good this is going to do,” Andrea replied as she lifted her sword and took her position like Cassandra had shown her. “We’ve been at this for days and I haven’t learned anything I didn’t already know.” She sounded both annoyed and tired.

Cassandra furrowed her brow. “You’re lying.”

“I am not,” Andrea protested. “You haven’t taught me anything new. I know how to hold a sword, how to swing it, how to parry and block. You taught me this already, all that the first day. I haven’t learned anything I don’t already know. Teach me something new and maybe I’ll have something new to try.” She kept a firm grip on her sword the whole time, even as she demonstrated some of the things Cassandra had taught her, all in perfect form. She had not only been paying attention, she’d actually learned it all.

Cassandra scoffed slightly. “Do you understand why you’re fighting?”

Andrea opened her mouth to reply but said nothing. She furrowed her brow, as though thinking really hard about what Cassandra deemed a simple question.

“I’ll ask you again, Andrea,” Cassandra said. “Why do you fight?”

“I...”

Cassandra narrowed her eyes for a second then smirked. “Until you understand what it is you’re fighting for, any idiot with a sword could best you in a real fight.”

Andrea frowned. “I thought you were confident in me?”

“I am,” Cassandra replied. “But my confidence does _nothing_ to you. My confidence in your abilities cannot and will not win you any fights. You must be confident in yourself, in what you’re fighting for, and you’re not. You don’t even know what it is that you’re actually fighting for. I know, but you don’t.”

“If you know then why don’t you tell me?” Andrea replied.

“Because if you haven’t figured it out yourself, then perhaps I am wrong,” Cassandra said.

“You think that’s right?” Andrea asked. “That you might not actually know what I’m fighting for because I haven’t figured out what it is you’re expecting me to say. Is this a trick question? The Inquisition fights to close the Breach and bring peace in a world gone mad.”

“I did not ask what the _Inquisition_ fights for, I asked what _you_ fight for,” Cassandra replied. “If you think you’re only fighting for what the Inquisition wants, then you’re either blind, or don’t know the ways of a true warrior.”

“I resent that comment, I have a blind cousin and she’s very smart,” Andrea replied. “More of a warrior than I’ll ever be, that’s for sure.”

“I have an idea, if you’ll humor me,” Cassandra said. “I think you’ll understand what it means to be a warrior after it.” If Andrea really was fighting to protect her friends, then she’d do anything to protect her best friend—Lady Montilyet. She wouldn’t hurt Josephine of course, but even the thought that Josephine might be in danger should be enough to spur Andrea into actually fighting. She’d have to convince Josephine to observe the fight.

“What is it?” Andrea asked.

“It’ll help you more if I don’t explain it,” Cassandra replied. “Just wait here, and be prepared to actually fight me.”

“Why do I get the feeling this idea is just going to make me angry?” Andrea groaned.

“Because it probably will, and that’s part of the point,” Cassandra replied, “now wait here.”

—

Josephine stared at her incredulously. “You want me to... do what exactly?”

“Help me test a theory,” Cassandra replied. “I’m trying to help Andrea understand what she’s fighting for, but it’s not getting through to her. She’ll fight much better, and survive much longer, if she understands what the driving force behind her actions are.”

“So you want me to _let you_ try to hit me with your sword?” Josephine asked exasperated. “That’s not going to do anything but make Andrea angry.”

“Will it help if I promise not to actually hit you with the sword?” Cassandra half pleaded, if Josephine wouldn’t agree to be there the only other option was Jack, and he trusted her a lot less than Josephine did.

Josephine sighed. “You know, there are easier ways to die.”

“What?” Cassandra frowned at that. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“Your plan is to make Andrea believe I’m in danger,” Josephine noted. “There are easier ways to die.”

“I’m not sure what you’re implying,” Cassandra replied.

“In between the times that Andrea was with the Chantry,” Josephine explained, “when we were still young enough to not have duties elsewhere, Andrea and I did our best to spend as much time together as possible. I thought she was the most interesting girl on the planet having grown as one of the youngest in such a large family. She thought _I_ was the most interesting girl to exist, she used to tell me that she wished she could be me, and grow up with younger siblings who were allowed to stay with her.

“There are some things I still do not know about Andrea from back then. One of the things I do remember, however, is that she once stabbed one of her uncles with a knife because he wouldn’t leave me alone when I told him I did not want to dance with him. She got him in the shoulder. He lived, but he wouldn’t have if she’d been a little shorter or a little stronger.”

Cassandra nodded. “You think she’d kill to keep you safe?”

“I don’t think, I _know_ ,” Josephine replied. “She’s like Leliana in that way.”

“Interesting,” Cassandra mused. “She said she dislikes fighting.”

“Oh she does from what I remember,” Josephine said. “She used to get really mad when her siblings would get into fights, especially if they tried to involve people who had nothing to do with the fight. She told me once, that if she ever became the Divine, the first law she’d make would make fighting illegal, except when there’s a Blight.”

“What about an Exalted March?” Cassandra asked. “Would fighting still be illegal then?”

“Knowing Andrea, she’d try everything under the sun and then some before she’d ever authorize an Exalted March against anything,” Josephine replied. “There’s probably not a lot that could force Andrea into agreeing to use violence as the primary answer to a problem, even on a national or international scale. Probably especially then.”

“When she fights,” Cassandra began.

“She could take an archdemon down,” Josephine replied. “So long as its to save innocent lives. Her siblings used to urge her to join the Templars, telling her it would get her away from home. Andrea refused. Templars hurt too many innocent mages, and suspected mages, often children or teens who are frightened and just want to be with their family. That’s what she said anyway. They told her to join the city guard, again she refused. Much of the city guard in Ostwick is made up of people who just want to not get in trouble for, as she put it, ‘harassing the less fortunate.’ Andrea wanted to join the Grey-Wardens, to help end the Blight in Ferelden, like her cousin Ella. She was only 16 then, but she claimed the Grey-Wardens to be ‘the most noble’ of all warriors, because they help people and kill darkspawn.”

“She wanted to be a Grey-Warden?” Cassandra tilted her head slightly. Andrea had never mentioned that.

“It was like most childhood dreams, quickly forgotten after it was no longer relevant to the goings on of the time,” Josephine replied. “Though I hear she wrote letters to Vigil’s Keep, trying to contact her cousin Ella. I don’t think she ever received a response.”

“Interesting, I heard Leliana’s sent a letter to Ella,” Cassandra replied. “I would be angry, but I _know_ Leliana has the Hero of Ferelden with her currently, that elf that hardly ever leaves her side. Justinia did not believe that woman to actually be the Hero, honestly I’m not sure if I do either, but when asked for the Hero the elf is who Leliana brought.”

“If Leliana brought her when the Hero was requested, then she _is_ the Hero,” Josephine replied. “Are you in a hurry to anger the Herald, because if you are—or if she is waiting for us—then I suggest we head out there. Though, I’m not sure I actually want to be there. Andrea’s going to be really angry over all of this. She doesn’t want me anywhere near the fighting, and honestly, I don’t want to be near it either.”

—

Josephine was right, of course, in her insistence that Andrea would be angry even just seeing her near their fight.

“She is just here to observe us,” Cassandra lied. She hated lying to the Herald but it would ruin her plans if Andrea knew the truth behind them.

“What? Do you think I’ll fight better with her watching?” Andrea asked.

“You don’t want to show off to your girlfriend?” Cassandra asked. “I’m sure Lady Montilyet would be very impressed with your skills.”

“I don’t want to fight you, Cassandra. Fighting is a terrible way to show off,” Andrea replied.

Cassandra held her blade out toward Andrea. “I cannot train you if you are unwilling to fight. You don’t even truly understand what you’re fighting for yet. It’s sad that you don’t understand that, even though Lady Josephine says you’ve been fighting for the same reason your whole life.”

Andrea narrowed her eyes for a moment then replied, “I fight because no one gives me a choice.”

“You do have a choice,” Cassandra said. “If you truly do not wish to fight, then don’t. Let the Divine’s killer be caught by the people who are willing to do the hard things.”

“Sit back and do nothing at all is not a viable choice,” Andrea replied. “I will not make that decision.”

“Why not?” Cassandra pressed. “If you don’t want to fight, there are other things you can do. You have talents, use them. Lady Montilyet can teach you to be a diplomat, I’m sure.”

“It’s true that I could,” Josephine replied. “As the Herald of Andraste, you’re uniquely suited to be a diplomat in these times.”

“Why do I get the feeling there’s something you both know that you’re not telling me?” Andrea asked.

Cassandra shrugged. “Are you always so suspicious of your friends?”

“I was not aware that we were friends yet, Cassandra,” Andrea replied. “Not even two weeks ago you wanted to kill me.”

“That’s fair,” Cassandra replied. “However, as your instructor in the martial arts, pick up your sword and fight me.”

Andrea laughed. “You really just will not give up on this.”

Cassandra smirked. Andrea was making things difficult. It was time to up the ante, she would never fight just by being told to do so. She turned her sword to Josephine. “Maybe—”

Before she could even finish her thought, Andrea acted. Cassandra didn’t even have time to react before Andrea had knocked the sword from her hand and stopped the tip of her sword a hair’s breadth from Cassandra’s neck.

“Don’t you even _think_ about involving Josephine in _our_ fight,” Andrea snapped. “You harm a single hair on her head, and I’ll remove yours from your body, Seeker.”

Josephine laughed, and Cassandra glanced at her. There was _nothing_ funny about this. Andrea was like an entire different person when she felt Josephine had been threatened.

“I tried to warn you, Seeker Pentaghast. There are easier ways to die than to threaten me in Andrea’s presence,” Josephine said.

Andrea glared at Cassandra, then lowered her sword. “There are also less painful ways to die. If death is your intention then pick that sword back up and we’ll see how well you match against your student.”

Cassandra shook her head. “Why do you fight, Andrea? Where do you draw your courage from?”

Andrea blinked then nodded slowly, seeming to finally understand what Cassandra had been trying to teach her that day. “I fight so no innocents are ever put to the sword. I fight to keep safe the people who cannot protect themselves, to save the people who should not have to save themselves. I fight, so people like Josephine do not have to. To protect my friends, to protect my family. So that civilian casualties are _never_ a thing again. I fight, because if not me, then someone else who should never have to. If not me, then my younger brother, or our younger cousins, or that kid who lived down the road, or those kids on the street. Because if I don’t save the ones I care about, who will?”

Cassandra nodded, a smile creeping on her face. “Now you understand. What’s the difference between you and ‘any idiot with a sword?’”

“Courage,” Andrea replied. “Courage and swordsmanship. The marks of a warrior?”

Cassandra reached down and picked up her sword from the ground. “Yes, but that’s not all. Do you trust me?”

“I’m not sure, are you going to turn your sword on Josephine again?”

Josephine interrupted, “Actually, I agreed to let her do that.”

“Then I trust you,” Andrea replied.

“Good,” Cassandra said, “now. The difference between you and those people is training. You’re learning, you’re skilled. Swords are not magic, any sword can be used for good or for evil it depends on the one who wields it. When you’re ready, strike at me. Show Josephine that you’re willing to fight to keep her safe. Let her see what your training is accomplishing.”

It was going to be a long time before Andrea would ever be able to take down trained warriors in combat if she didn’t have the element of surprise on her side, but she was getting there. Courage, swordsmanship, and confidence were some of the most important tools in a warriors belt, and given enough time to understand her own actions, Andrea would have all three in bounds.


End file.
